Customer Reviews

King Lear

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Gareth Hinds' King Lear is one of the most elegant yet accessible Shakespearian adaptations I've ever seen. Most efforts in the vein of Shakespear-for-comics make one of two bad choices: either they 'dumb it down' for what they think a comics audience can understand, or the text is so removed from the imagery that though the art may be well-rendered, they are really only illustrated manuscripts, not comics. Hinds makes neither of these mistakes; rather he uses the visual forms and tricks of comics to clarify the language without changing the text. In fact the text and the images are so flawlessly interwoven that the experience is closer to watching a great performance of the play than anything else. He balances the visuals in the same fashion the play balances the beauty of the poetry versus the bitterness and world-weariness of the sentiment -- the design and framing of the scenes is lavish yet strangely intimate, and he keeps his line light and colors airy, which only adds a deeper, ironic melancholy to the final sequences. Fantastic work; one of my favorite plays is now one of my favorite comics.

If you're like me, you never get as much out of reading a play as from witnessing it performed. The actors and director have studied the work and found its nuances, and their staging and delivery make a huge difference. When it's Shakespeare I also sometimes stop and puzzle over the language, which at least throws off the pacing and sometimes just leaves me feeling like I've missed something.

Experiencing that language through this graphic novel is more like seeing it performed than like reading it; only with castles and thunder storms and horses and battles, rather than just resourceful suggestions of the same. And, you can experience it again any time you want, and compare scenes and characters to arrive at a richer understanding. The art is vivid, expressive, varied, richly colored--and above all, expertly crafted to serve the Bard's story.

Ask any high school English student: Reading the Bard's work aloud in a classroom doesn't necessarily inspire. Shakespeare's masterpieces are plays. As such, they were meant to be performed. Actors bring us the movement, rhythm, and passion of Shakespeare's work in a way that the printed word cannot.

Fortunately, Hinds's impressive artistic talents have now brought that life to the page. One page gives us the quiet stillness of a castle at night. Another brings us the ornamented swirl of courtiers. Yet another flares with action and swordplay.

With sensitivity, fidelity to the original script, and refreshing visual variety, this rendering of King Lear treats us both to the rhythms of a live performance and to changes of scene and landscape that are simply impossible on the stage. It is, in short, a masterpiece in its own right.

King Lear is a tale about a king who is slowly descending

into madness. The King decides to divide his kingdom

between his three daughters, but instead of splitting the

kingdom equally, Lear uses a more unique way. Lear tells

his daughters whoever loves him the most will get the

largest part of the kingdom. Goneril and Regan both tell

their father that they love him more than anything in the

world, while Cordelia answers the question honestly,

enraging her father. The stage is now set for the schemes

and plotting for old King Lear's throne.

Shakespeare's plays are hard to read as normal plays. Reading

King Lear in graphic novel format was much easier. Even though some

of the speeches were shortened in the novel, it still had

the Shakespearen feel. The artwork in King Lear is rather

stunning. It shows the setting and reflects King Lear's

state of mind. It is also easy to identify characters by

the colors given to them in their clothing. I feel that

reading King Lear is much easier to read in this format

than reading it from a book.

Reviewed by a young adult student reviewer

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My son loved this graphic version of King Lear, and was lucky to have it signed by the author, who visited his school!

I highly recommend all of Gareth Hinds graphic novels.

Shakespeare is, of course, the backbone of many literary studies. But is there a way to add something fresh and new to the works of the ancient bard? Gareth Hinds has created the graphic novel interpretation of one of Shakespeare's greatest plays, KING LEAR.

Although the presentation may be unique, the story holds true. The great king is dividing his realm. Three daughters will receive three portions, but each must prove herself worthy.

Lear's sanity is in question as he makes his demands known. The raging king could very well destroy his kingdom as he tests his descendants' loyalties.

The talent of Gareth Hinds is clearly evident in this graphic-style depiction of KING LEAR. The plot comes through loud and clear as each drawing captures both characters and emotion that words alone on the page often miss. Readers who find Shakespeare a difficult read might want to give this creative presentation a try.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"